You Belong With Me
by scarlettbutler
Summary: For confused readers, this is a sequel to "Scarlett," GWTW's sequel.
1. Daddy

A/N: Scarlett and Rhett's story continued after the sequel to GWTW, Scarlett. The first sentence is the last sentence in Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gone With the Wind or any of its characters, events, etc.  
  
"The old ladder is under my quilts, Momma. Grainne told me to save it," Cat said.  
"Grainne certainly knows how to plan ahead, doesn't she Kitty Cat?" Scarlett laughed. Rhett looked at his daughter. He was still recovering from the shock that he actually had a daughter. He thought his world had ended when Bonnie's did. But know he was filled with hope. Hope because Scarlett loved him, and he had a daughter. He shook his head. His daughter!  
Rhett walked over to her pile of multicolored quilts and pulled out the ladder.  
"Wait, Rhett! Do you think it's save to go yet? They may be waiting for us!" Scarlett exclaimed in fear. Rhett was about to tell her not to worry, but then realized that he wasn't going to have come this far only to lose his wife and daughter again.  
"You are right, my pet. We don't want to take any chances. We will wait until dark tonight. We still have a lot of catching up to do."  
After they ate a small breakfast of stale muffins Cat had left in her tower few days before, Rhett began asking Cat questions about her life. Finally he got around to what he wanted to ask her.  
"Do you ever wonder about your father?" Cat's eyes widened, startled. She had never really thought about her father. She felt she had everything she needed with her mother, Uncle Colum, Grainne, and Mrs. Fitzpatrick.  
"No," she said honestly. Rhett glanced at Scarlett. She shook her head, and he sighed. He wanted so much to tell her that he was her father; that she was safe with him, and he loved her so much. But he knew he could not. She was too young, and she would not understand.  
"Oh," was all he said. She peered at him intently.  
"A-are you my father?" Rhett's jaw dropped and Scarlett gasped. They looked at each other, there looks reading "How does she know?" Scarlett collected herself. After all, Cat had asked.  
"Yes, Cat. This is your daddy." Rhett's eyes shined with unshed tears. At first, Cat just sad, trying to comprehend. Then she broke into a smile and jumped into his arms.  
"Hello, Daddy!" 


	2. Escape

Hey everybody! I'm really sorry about some of the careless typos in Chapter 1, like "their" instead of "there" and "sad" instead of "sat."  
  
That night, after the sun had been set for about two hours, Rhett silently let the ladder down the side of the tower. He started down first, so that he was in position to catch Cat or Scarlett if they were to slip and fall. After they had all reached the ground, Rhett picked up Cat with one arm, and held Scarlett's hand with his other hand. They ran through the fields without a sound, until they came to a horse that Scarlett recognized as Half Moon, her prize hunter. She was bewildered that he hadn't run far away when they had freed the horses from the burning stables. Because Half Moon was so big, Rhett, Scarlett, and Cat were able to squeeze together on his back. Rhett led the horse down the road all night, towards Galway. Even when the sun came up, they didn't stop until they arrived at the hotel where Rhett was staying in Galway. Scarlett couldn't believe that it was only yesterday when she had been here at the horse race and found Rhett, drunker than she had ever seen him, with John Morland. It felt like it had been an eternity since yesterday.  
Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief once they were safe inside Rhett's hotel room. No one could hurt her or her precious Cat now; not with Rhett with them. Rhett and Scarlett tucked Cat right into bed, and Rhett suggested that Scarlett join her while he went to find when the next ship sailed for America.  
"But I'm not tired, Rhett. Let me go with you!" Rhett couldn't resist her sparkling green eyes, and loved her so much and hadn't seen her in so long that he didn't want to leave her side for a minute.  
"Already, my darling. We have so much to talk about."  
  
Please review! I know it was a short chapter but I barely had time even to ride this one! 


	3. You Belong With Me

Thanks to my one reviewer! I promise to try not to be corny, but this is my first fan fic!  
  
Scarlett and Rhett walked down the pier together. As Scarlett reflected what had happened to her within the past two days, bittersweet tears began to run her cheeks.  
"What's the matter, my darling?" Rhett asked her in a gentle voice, free of mockery or laughter. Scarlett managed a smile for him.  
"I'll be all right, Rhett. I just can't believe that this is all happening. It isn't the way I planned it at all. I-I wasn't planning to tell you about Cat for a long time. I wanted to hurt you, just the way you had hurt me. Oh, I wanted this baby so much, for I also thought it would bring us back together. But when I was about to board a ship for America to go home to you, I-I..." Scarlett broke off, all the sadness and pain she had felt at that moment coming back to her. She turned to Rhett and sobbed in his chest. He made no attempt to stop her, just embraced her.  
Rhett was continuously haunted by how much he had hurt Scarlett. She had hurt him in so many ways as well, but perhaps he had deserved them. He knew that he had been too harsh with her when she had come to Charleston, but he didn't want to fall in love with her again. What he hadn't realized was that he loved her more than he had at any other time in his life, and it made him feel weak. When she had left Charleston without so much as a good-bye, he had become angry. He had felt that she was punishing him, so he wanted to put her through the pain that she had put him through. So he divorced her. He had petitioned the legislature for a legal divorce, and it had been passed because of his family influence and his exceedingly large bank account. But that hadn't been enough. He knew that Scarlett could still try to get him back. Then one day he had noticed the shine in Anne Hampton's eyes when she looked at him and he realized that she was in love with him. It was perfect. Scarlett could never take him if he belonged to another woman. He did consider that Ashley had been married when Scarlett was still obsessing over him, but she couldn't have him nonetheless.  
Rhett flashed back to the day that he had been at the Charleston harbor, escorting some British friends to their ship. After they had boarded, and he had turned around to leave, he felt a chill go down his spine, immediately followed by warmth. He spun around, and saw none other than the love of his life, Scarlett O'Hara, looking at him with such longing and remorse that he almost couldn't bear to look at her. For just a second, he felt that he would give up everything in the world to put the past behind him and be with Scarlett. But it took just that one second to scare him, and he left the pier immediately, shaken.  
He told himself that he must never see her again, but his love for her brought him to Ireland, three times. But this time, the third time, he had escaped his life of misery in Charleston, where his wife and child and just died. No, he hadn't really loved Anne. Oh, but he had cared for her, she was so kind and gentle, and he was so unworthy of her. She had reminded him so much of Melly.  
Rhett had come back to Ireland devastated, his life torn to shreds. But there was still hope. There was still hope that Scarlett loved him. But when he had heard that she was betrothed to the Earl of Morland, he lost it. He was with his friend Bart Morland, who was in pretty bad shape himself, and they had gotten drunk together. No, he had gone beyond drunk. Rhett could usually hold his liquor pretty well. But Rhett drank glass after glass, wallowing in his life. There was nothing left for him in the world anymore. Everyone had left him. Bonnie, Anne and their dead babies, Scarlett's miscarried child. And now Scarlett. This was what hurt worst of all, because Scarlett was still alive, he was still so in love with her, but she had slipped past his fingers.  
Rhett blinked, returning to the present. Yes, he had hurt Scarlett, and had gotten what he deserved in return. But, oh, that was over now. They were together. He had been filled with joy beyond compare when he had rescued Scarlett out of the streets of Ballyhara. As they embraced he realized that she still loved him; there still was hope. But when she told him of Cat, her daughter, their daughter, he was stunned. Only a minute ago he thought he was the most joyous man in the world. But, oh, he had a daughter! Bonnie was gone until they met in heaven, but Katie Colum was his second chance.  
As they had hid in the tower of Ballyhara just the day before, Scarlett had commented to Rhett that she didn't seem to belong anywhere. Not America, not in Ireland, no, not even Tara. Rhett looked down at Scarlett, who was no longer sobbing. He tipped her face towards his and smiled.  
"Don't you see, Scarlett? You belong with me." 


End file.
